Monday, July 08, 2013

OMG! I MET, FREAKING- PAUL MCCARTNEY!!!

& Running into the Band!

CHECK THIS OUT! PS. Long post :)

SO, after the gig in Verona, at the Coliseum.. I was kinda stranded.. I had a tiny piece of paper with the hotels name barely legible.. I sat there ( outside) reflecting on the nights gig... & how brilliant it was.. Fuck! I was all alone in Italy- funny & ironic at the same time.. I could see .. Paul & the band-- laughing in my mind to another huge success- that rocked people's socks off!. Another gig-- that just went down. I had to figure away to get back to the hotel, with no key card, I began to walk towards the direction of the hotel.. The night air was fresh--- the sky clear at least I didn't have to worry about it raining...

Abe Me Brian Rusty- Verona Airport

I finally was able to flag down a taxi.. The driver spoke no English only in Italian.. I gave him the first name of the hotel & he nodded.. I got back to the hotel & tried logging on to Facebook..It was 2:30am in Italy> Still working on 3-5 hrs of sleep a night.. I thought about my flight to Vienna the next morning..at 12:30pm.. ugh, thank God I made it to the hotel.. i rolled into bed at 4am.. suddenly, it was daylight- I got ready quick style to go to the airport- Man, was I feeling rough..

June 26th Whaaa You Ran In to the Band?

At the Airport,.. I had time to kill. Walking around, who do I see coming into the airport? Abe! drummer for Paul's band - than Brian Ray- guitarist ,, Rusty. Anderson- guitarist- WIX.- fearless .. organist & percussion extraordinaire...the MPL crew..

. I went up to Abe. OMG!
Abe, after all these years I finally get to meet you .. Brian Ray,
there's Harley! ( my nick name ) - I had met the other band members
years ago).... I laughed with the guys.. took pics with the band.. MJ
took a pic of himself with my camera.,, than, took a pic of me &
Wix..Would have been nice to get a pic- with the entire ban.

more- below----

WIX- & Me-

Brian: "Harley, did you win the lottery or something?- your following us everywhere!" ha ha!
We all ended up in the same security line...for a very long time.. I wanted to chat with them, ( the band ) in that security -line but didn't want to bother them..

I thanked Wix for taking care of Paul.. "Paul is a big boy he can take care of himself'" said Wix.. Me:
"Yeah, well, your're the back bone Wix, you're the one who holds it all together"
I told Brian, I loved them.. ...Security, jacked up Abe for his lap -top.. Abe, huge smile with airport
security...

MJ Kin- Photographer for Paul McCartney

As they went into the bus.. Brian said "See you in Vienna"~ I
love that dang band- lovely bunch..

As they went to get on their plane .. I had to wait another hour for mine...to Cologne, Germany,- than Vienna... Geez so many Airports I did frequent on this trip- many.. It was very difficult waiting on those planes. The Flight was delayed from Cologne to Vienna... Finally, landing in Vienna...Me & another fan took the train into the City Center of Vienna.. It was late 11:15 pm when I arrived at my hotel..12am when I got to sleep... wheew a huge day was coming up..

Sound-Check!! WHAT!

I was hurting for sleep when I woke-in the early am..I wasn't sure Id make the gig?! I thought about skipping the Sound Check, cos, I was dead tired..I figured, once I got ready.. Adrenaline would kick in and somehow I would be fine..I got to Ernst- Happel Stadium- huge! I had no info for Sound- check and walked half way around the Stadium... I see a familiar figure- Brian R- ( one of Paul security team ) he joked- ' What are you doing here?" i found the VIP line.. it wasn't as big as Warsaw & certainly smaller than Verona.. We went thru the line pretty quickly! damn we were even closer! ...

No Rain in site! Dynamite! haha here comes Paul & the band! My recall is usually excellent- but I got it a bit incorrect from what I told Beatles Examiner & The Macca report... I danced the entire Sound check

Sound check setlist:

Paul McCartney & Abe Sound Check- Vienna!

First song:

Yakety Yak...
Honey Don't---
Paul to the crowd? how many people from Vienna? how many from Austria? how many from other countries?...
we all cheer!- ( the ones from other countries )... next a
huge instrumental with a reggae/Latin beat.. never heard it before
someone yells Monk-berry Moon Delight
Flaming Pie---
Penny Lane --
Someone screams I Love You Paul
C'Moon
Celebration! -------a fave
Paul: that quieted you down now didn't? l ( Hilarious ) Whole Lotta shaken going on~

in the back ground- on mic- you hear 'meeeowwww',, who did that?
Paul: this is for Shelly Lazar- just because
San Francisco Bay Blues~
Sun is Shinning---
Ram On----
Midnight Special--- if you ever come to Vienna- sings Paul.. lalala

This Can't be happening! WHAT! WE'RE MEETING PAUL MCCARTNEY?!

Next -Paul is calling up two girls.. AHH Hell NO!!! I'm never going to meet Paul! I thought! I saw security talking to Paul on stage.. here comes Brian Riddle again, he tells one girl Olga, you're going you're up.. Brian than comes up to me..- You're going up on stage!! Me. WTF?!!! No way! jumping up and down!!! in shock - We made it to the stage.....OMG OMG!!! I couldn't run because I have a bad knee.. I thought I was the last person on stage.. to speak to Paul but, It was a guy from Sweden--- here's what went down! Paul: what's your name Bettina- from Germany--
more talk..whats your name Chelsea, where ya from? Perth
--more talk ...what's your name Olga-- from?
- ( sorry Olga I couldn't hear..) what's your name Sue - my names Sue how do you do?...where you from California..
Sue, shows Paul her Beatles finger nails...

Oh God-- I'm Next!

I walked up to Paul, as I walked up he
said I see a top hat- "Macca" I was wearing my 'Macca' hat. I said: "Your freaking Paul
McCartney!"--- Paul smiled...'Hi Paul' I said...Paul: SO WHAT'S- your name? Me: McCartney! - -- ( cheers )Paul McCartney! yeah? Not it's Not?! --- Paul seemed amused,-grinning- surprised?Me: Yes it is! .McCartney GiannoniPaul: McCartney Giannoni--- did you change it?Me: YES!Paul: - in a voice --I did Paul- just like Elton!..... Excellent!
Me: thinking-----yeah?.. Paul smiling ...Paul: Where you from Me: CaliforniaPaul California! Me: Can you sign my tattoo? Paul looks at tattooPaul: I can sign it... a bit later.... ( OMG! I thought )... I didn't get the " Just Like Elton" part at first duh!~ hahaha I was is shock, surprise, elation! but trying to maintain my composure am I really talking to Paul McCartney- on stage, with the band, in Vienna, Austria?!! Wow! just wow I felt every happy emotion you can think of

We are dancing on stage are you kidding me? haha!!!!

next a guy comes up-.
Paul what's your name Alexander
Paul Alexander the Great? where you from Sweden
Paul: Swedenn!!
Paul than says we were all going to Dance to Buddy Holly's It's So Easy- Paul and the band began to play - this ROCKS! MORE LATER :)

A picture I took of Paul McCartney I took while dancing on stage- Sound Check- Vienna Austria